Britain is on the cusp of a new dawn for our transport infrastructure. From Crossrail to HS2, we are transforming our transport landscape for the better, creating a lasting legacy for future generations and putting Britain at the forefront of rail engineering and innovation once again.
That is why leaders from the transport, rail, construction and infrastructure industries have united to form the High Speed Rail Industry Leaders Group (HSRILG) and show their support for high speed rail.
All of our members have played key roles in delivering major transport projects across the world, ranging from creating entirely new high speed networks through to operating, maintaining and improving the UK’s existing rail network.
The combined breadth and depth of expertise gives the Group a unique insight into both the shortcomings of the current transport network, and the transformative capacity and connectivity benefits that high speed rail can bring. With a significant amount of experience in engineering, operations, regulation, funding and infrastructure planning, the Group is determined to ensure that the extension of the high speed rail network leaves a lasting legacy for the UK.
As part of the Group’s role, we will:
- identify and offer solutions where High Speed Rail lacks skills or resources
- showcase the expertise Britain possesses and identify where there needs to be improvement and investment
- benchmark expertise against international experience
- provide leadership and guidance on issues such as environmental treatment, cost management and operational performance
Specifically, we believe that the HS2 project is vital to Britain’s future economic and social prosperity. With a growing population and demand for rail travel only set to continue its dramatic year-on-year increase, now is the time to invest in high speed rail.
There is no viable alternative. Our rail system will be operating at full capacity in a decade’s time, with upgrades to existing network an unsustainable solution to the transport needs of a growing population. Without high speed rail, we will remain a disconnected country, increasingly hindered by poor transport links on both rail and road.
It will be a keystone of our international economic competitiveness over the next 50 years, not just because of the problems it solves but because of the opportunities it creates.
For businesses, HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity. It is expected to create as many as 400,000 jobs and offer up to £10 billion worth of supply chain contracts. Not only will it be one of the world’s most technologically advanced rail systems, but it will revive and strengthen the UK’s reputation for growth, jobs and skills to be envied the world over.
It will be one of the Group’s central objectives to demonstrate exactly how momentous the HS2 project will be in terms of job provision, and employment potential. This is why we believe that British businesses of all shapes and sizes should join us, and get behind the project.
We hope other British businesses and leaders will join the Group in supporting one of the most exciting and ambitious infrastructure projects in this country since the Victorian times.